The Tokyo Game Show 2021 has dropped some vital information about the release of Master Duel! Everyone's definitely excited for this game's release which is set to be around next year. With that being said, let's have a recap of what we knew before and the new info to go alongside it! That way we'll have a good idea of what to look forward to when the game comes out! Special thanks to the Twitter fans as well for showing more info we might not have known of.
This article will be updated should new things pop up nearing Master Duel's release! As of September 30, 2021 this is what we currently know.
Initial Info and Comparisons to LOTD
From the start, we know that Master Duel will be a new Yu-Gi-Oh title that would change playing it online as we know it! It'll be supporting almost every major platform, from game consoles, computers, and even mobile phones! Whether you're on Playstation, Xbox, on Android/IOS on or Steam, you'll get the chance to play Master Duel! It's free to play as well, albeit monetization has not been explained yet.
A constantly updated card pool is one of the biggest selling points so far, as the other titles such as LOTD suffered from a lack of updates. The animation and speed of the game are cleaner and faster to boot. Enticing gameplay that's easy to follow seems to play a big part as well.
The dueling arena feels much more alive than the previous titles, reminiscent of other modern online card games. In-game cosmetics like pets will also be featured, as shown with examples such as Rescue Rabbit and Cyber Dragon Infinity! Duelists can spot them lounging around in the gameboard within every match.
Digital Next and Gamescon Insights
A few months after, we gain more insight and footage on Master Duel. It is noted to be the first Digital YGO experience that supports 4k! To add to this, the senior director of the game Kenichi Kataoka dropped some vital intel. It will be heavily focused on the TCG/OCG side of things as an official platform to play on.
Master Duel differentiates itself from the other titles such as the LOTD series or Duel Links because of this. This point was boosted by the trailers showing off competitive cards and decks showing up in the duels. You can see things like Infinite Impermanence, Shaddoll Schism or Tri-Brigade Shuraig make their mark.
Likewise, the sound and the tempo of the duels were handled with a careful balance that makes it both exciting for not only the duelists, but spectators too. It was previously said that it might normally be difficult to follow what's going on in a duel, but Master Duel should have no issue with that. These were mentioned in that presentation as key points as the trailer continued.
Gamescon showed off a quick trailer with an odd note. Unlock over 10,000 cards but pointing out that some cards may need event participation or in-game purchases. Some players are a little peeved about this, as info about obtaining cards is still not known. The information that we currently had at the time mentions "Free to Play" but includes microtransactions.
TGS Showcase!
The most recent news so far was shown on September 30th at the Tokyo Game Show Online! Konami held a live stream that talked about a couple of titles with Master Duel news at the end.
In the Konami Esports studio, four people started the Master Duel talk. The biggest news is that the game will be set for a Winter release, which is right around the corner. Cross-play has been mentioned, and while they aren't willing to give details just yet, it was labeled as something to look forward to!
Solo mode takes a whole new turn by actually following the lore of the actual cards! No anime/manga focus, instead duelists will be able to experience the history of the World Legacy lore, with Qli and Gem-Knight storylines also appearing. It's likely that this is just the tip of the iceberg! The WL section only covered up to Ib getting captured by the Mekk-Knights. That's pretty early on the World Legacy storyline, so this may just be a taste of what's to come.
Within this mode, it starts with an intro that explains the lore and the setting of the chosen story. There appears to be a tutorial mode in each of them. Players are given pre-built decks to work within the stories. For example, you'll be leading the charge as Qli in their campaign.
Unanswered Findings
More findings can be spotted here in this section. There will be gems and they'll be used to open packs or buy cosmetics. This is to be expected, albeit the backlash and feedback do make sense. We won't know how generous they'll be on how to obtain these. Despite this image showing up, actual packs and pack openings have not been shown to the public eye. This leaves us with a lot of questions, which isn't good news when the game is about to come out.
Additionally, there seems to be a Level system that was not present before in old titles such as LOTD. Rewards for leveling up are also unknown at this time. We only see it for a short period of time after a story section was completed. This likely means that you're able to earn EXP from the duel modes.
The mystery doesn't end there though, as there are six strange orbs that are found at the top-right corner. From the looks of it, they appear to be some kind of currency. People have theorized that these are tied to the six main attributes in the game. Once again, there's currently not enough info on them. We'll keep you updated should things change.
A Duel in Motion
The stream showed off a semi-competitive duel between Mekk-Knight Invoked and Tri-Brigade Lyrilusc in Spectator Mode! The two pets can be seen in the leftmost and rightmost sections. The blue aura indicates that the player has priority to activate a Quick Effect in this instance, being Assembled Nightingale! This is of course to signify turn player priority.
Most of the other things about the gameplay are stuff we already know about, so there's not much else to report on this front. One big question will be asking on how faithful they'll be adapting the differences between TCG and OCG. Priority and certain effects don't exactly work the same, which matters a lot. The card pool legality is something of note as well due to the delay between the TCG and the OCG.
Conclusion
With the game's release creeping ever so closer, we're left looking for answers on what's going on in all honesty. At this point, all we can do is wait and see how things are going to pan out! Let us know your thoughts about the game below? Are you excited about the Freemium model or is it worrying? Whatever it is, let us know. Until next time folks!
